WRN-EP Team sign off

This is the last official blog post of the WRN-EP Team with the current project coming to an end on 31 March 2011.

We'd like to say many thanks to our project partners for working with us over the last two years. Also, many thanks to our colleagues within the greater repository community for their input and advice in regard to project activities.

Please visit the Welsh Repository Network community within the Aberystwyth University repository CADAIR to view and download the HowTos, learning objects, presentations and report documentation produced over the course of the WRN-EP.

The WRN will continue beyond the life of the WRN-EP in the form of a WHELF sub-group, with partners meeting on a biannual basis to exchange repository news and ideas.

JISC repository project activity is also continuing within the WRN with the AEIOU Wales Project running until 31 July 2011.

JorumOpen: OA learning and teaching resource repository

Based on DSpace software, Jorum now offers an open access learning and teaching resource repository JorumOpen. This new service allows access to resources licensed under Creative Commons, free to anyone, worldwide. JorumOpen compliments Jorum’s original service JorumUK which although free to use by members of the UK HE and FE communities, required an institutional subscription to access and deposit resources.

Having created a number of learning objects for the repository community, the WRN thought it would be apposite, to aid further distribution, to deposit these into JorumOpen. We had already deposited them into our institutional repository CADAIR. However, when searching for the best collection within JorumOpen to deposit them in, we made a discovery- one had already been deposited! Unfortunately, several elements of the metadata record were incorrect including the depositor passing themselves off as the publisher. In fairness to JorumOpen they were extremely cooperative in trying to amend the record, eventually taking it down so that I could create a new record for the item. Evidence of a take-down policy in action!

Item records for all three of our current learning objects are now available within JorumOpen. The registration process for deposit was simple and live deposit was instant. This is a good service to recommend to any keen individuals within your institution who wish to make any of their learning objects available to the wide world if your current IR collection policy does not include resources of this type.

New WRN Learning Objects

The WRN are pleased to announce the launch of their first learning objects focussing on metadata and repositories, given a sneak preview at last Friday’s UKCoRR Meeting:

• ‘Metadata in repositories: An overview’
• ‘Giving a clear picture: Metadata use in repositories to represent still images’
  

We are aiming to create a suite of learning objects looking at metadata use with different repository item types so look out for announcements of further resources available soon.

Already available via the WRN website is the first of the WRN learning objects:

‘Multimedia Deposits: Complications and Considerations with Intellectual Property Rights.’

We are looking for feedback on these learning objects to aid us with the design and content of future resources. An online survey has been created for the evaluation of each of the learning objects above, the link to which can be found within the last page of the object itself.

WRN Learning Object launched

The WRN are pleased to announce the launch of their first learning object- ‘Multimedia Deposits: Complications and Considerations with Intellectual Property Rights.’

One of the aims and objectives for the WRN Enhancement Project is to create a series of learning objects relating to a range of repository management topics, to enable WRN partners and the wider repository community to continue their engagement with the repository agenda. It is understood that not everyone involved with repositories can dedicate the time and resources necessary to attend all of the current training opportunities available to them. It is hoped that these learning objects will go some way to filling in the gaps, offering training that can be delivered remotely, at a time convenient to an individual. Topics for future learning objects to be considered are: the application of metadata to varying repository item types; and issues surrounding e-theses.

We are looking for feedback on this learning object to aid us with the design and content of future learning objects we are looking to create. An online survey has been created for the evaluation of the learning object above, the link to which can be found within the last page of the learning object.